This development pertains to the art of mounting devices and more particularly to mounting devices of the knock down type.
The development is particularly applicable to a knock down mounting device for use in mounting electric motors and will be described with particular reference thereto. However, it will be appreciated to those skilled in the art that the development has broader applications and may be used for mounting bodies other than electric motors in many types of alternative environments and installations.
Knock down mounting arrangements for electric motors and the like are known in the art. Insofar as electric motors are concerned, such arrangements are oftentimes employed for mounting the motor relative to associated structure in air conditioning units, fan assemblies and so on. Typical of one prior art arrangement of this general type is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 2,096,621. The device there shown is employed in a fan assembly and generally comprises a band clamp which is closely received peripherally around the outside of the motor housing. This band clamp includes a plurality of leg receiving loops each adapted to receive one end of a mounting leg. The other end of each mounting leg is mounted to some associated structural portion of the fan assembly. One particular advantage to such a structural arrangement is the fact that it allows relatively unrestricted air flow through the air conditioning unit, fan assembly and so on when the motor is employed to operate a fan blade, pulley or the like.
This prior type of knock down mounting device has several structural draw backs which detract from its effective use. First, such prior devices have not fully accommodated positive locating and mounting as between the individual legs and the band clamp. Moreover, the legs did not include structure for allowing them to be positively located against the motor housing side wall. These deficiencies impaired the structural rigidity and reliability for the overall motor mounting arrangement. While U.S. Pat. No. 2,096,621 shows one type of prior knock down mounting device, there have been other prior modified structures incorporating substantially the same concepts disclosed therein.
The modifications have primarily attempted to provide more or better support for the motor between the band clamp and legs. While to some extend overcoming certain of the structural deficiencies inherent in the U.S. Pat. No. 2,096,621, they introduced still other structural deficiencies or shortcomings. Certain of the modified devices necessitated an increase in raw material or manufacturing costs which ultimately increased the overall costs for the mounting device itself. For example, some of these other prior devices incorporated legs formed from sheet metal. As a result, the width of the legs was increased and this adversely affected or restricted forced air flow through the air conditioning unit, fan or the like. Further, these modified knock down type mounting devices still did not provide sufficient positive alignment as between the legs and band clamp or did not provide sufficient positive retention as between the plurality of mounting legs and the motor housing.
Accordingly, it has been found desirable to provide a knock down type mounting device which would overcome the aforementioned disadvantages, could be manufactured from conventionally available materials, is simple in design, inexpensive to manufacture, positive in mounting operation and readily adapted to use in many different environments.